The Minnesota Orchestra will perform the debut of the piece composed by Libby Larsen at Orchestra Hall in March. The Minnesota Orchestra is made up of 95 musicians and led by Music Director Eiji Oue (his name is pronounced AY-gee OH-way). While many of the musicians teach students, being a member of the Minnesota Orchestra is their full-time occupation. The Orchestra performs over 200 concerts each year, frequently records new CDs and annually makes a concert tour. Last year, the Orchestra toured to Europe and Japan. Founded in 1903, the Minnesota Orchestra now mainly performs at Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis. Nearly 50,000 students visit Orchestra Hall each year to hear Young People's Concerts.

The instruments in an orchestra make a wonderful variety of sounds-lush violins, smooth cellos, clear oboes, thunderous timpani. Each plays a different and important role in bringing a piece of music to life. To see interviews with Minnesota Orchestra musicians discussing their instrument's special qualities, visit teaching.com. To learn more about symphony orchestras, check out the site at playmusic.org . The Minnesota Orchestra also has its own web site at mnorch.org.